Goethe Conscious After Accident Before Hour 18

Just before the end of the 17th hour at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, there was a sizeable accident involving Roald Goethe in one of two GTE-Am class-entered Aston Martin Vantage V8s, which brought out the fourth safety car of the race.

Goethe, in the No. 96 car, was attempting to get out of the way for a faster LMP1 car overtaking him exiting the Porsche Curves. But Goethe ran wide on corner exit and spun, head-on, into an unprotected concrete barrier.

The Aston Martin Racing team confirmed shortly thereafter that Goethe is conscious and talking on the radio, was released from the medical center after further evaluation, and will have some precautionary x-rays at a local hospital to be safe.

Elsewhere in GTE, Corvette Racing pitted for a rear brake change on Oliver Gavin’s No. 64 Corvette C7.R, but due to it occurring under the safety car it meant Gavin lost time at pit exit awaiting another safety car to pick up the field.

After the restart, Mark Webber passed Rene Rast for second overall, to make it a Porsche 1-2 with the No. 19 car now driven by Nick Tandy still leading. Both Webber and Rast are still on the lead lap.

Other class leaders at the 18-hour mark, with six hours to go, include Richard Bradley in LMP2 for KCMG, Toni Vilander in GTE-Pro for AF Corse and Paul Dalla Lana in GTE-Am in the other Aston Martin in class.

The battle for third in GTE-Am remains a back-and-forth affair between Townsend Bell for Scuderia Corsa and Patrick Dempsey for Dempsey-Proton Racing, with either Bell or Dempsey holding third depending on when they were due to pit.

RESULTS: Hour 18